Sunday was 4/20, widely recognized as national pot-smoking day. I managed to do all the things sober I would have done if I were high — eat an entire medium pizza from Domino’s while playing Mario Golf and Rez at the same time.
Why didn’t I smoke up? No ethical reason — I don’t think illegal equals immoral. I wasn’t particularly busy. And I can’t say it would have been my first time. No, the reason I didn’t participate in our national holiday was a little more subtle and has a lot to do with Penn’s culture.
We have a deserved reputation for “working hard and playing hard.” Even beyond Wharton, ours is an ambitious student body that seeks out practical applications of its education. One of the wallpapers on the University homepage reads, “A pragmatic love of knowledge.”
It’s clear what working hard means. But what exactly is playing hard?
From what I gather, it means consuming large amounts of high-proof alcohol. Somewhere in my house is this quintessential play-hard poster: a salt-rimmed shot glass filled with tequila and the words: “When life presents a challenge, take your best shot.”
The implication is that alcohol won’t interfere with — and may actually help you achieve — your dreams. In contrast, marijuana use means “playing easy.” It means not getting off the couch for a few hours. It means relaxing and zoning out. And those just aren’t qualities that will land you an I-banking job.
Ultimately, the “work hard, play hard” mentality splits students into two extremes: those that smoke pot once a lifetime and those that smoke pot once a day. Occasional drug use seems almost impossible — our culture urges us to either join the straightedge majority or the frowned-upon fringe. It’s a division I’d expect in the Real World, but to see it happening at the undergraduate level is a little disheartening.
What would a college campus look like if pot-smoking was less stigmatized? Maybe something like this. Bwog reports that as part of Bacchanal (Columbia’s equivalent to Spring Fling?), nature documentary and ideal stoned stimulus Planet Earth was shown on a big screen near the steps of the Low Memorial Library to celebrate 4/20.
Seems like a good vibe, and one that’s sorely missed here.
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April 21st, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I don’t know if this is completely accurate. Two years ago 4/20 fell on a Sunday and I recall about 100 people at the biopond blazing up, louging around, and generally having a good time. In fact, one particularly noble individual was kind of enough to order something like 20 large pizzas for everyone to share.
April 23rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
[…] guess which one is a Penn course.) During the interview, Kal mentioned that he doesn’t smoke weed and that he was formerly a vegetarian — two traits fundamentally antithetical to the best […]